Testament delivers a thrash metal onslaught for a legion of metal fans on the Thrash of the Titans Tour with support from Overkill and Destruction.
German metal band Destruction gets the early crowd fired up with a heavy dose of thrash metal. Formed in 1982, they are hailed as one of the “Big 4” of German metal. With many albums to their credit, they fill their set from across their back catalog, including tracks from their first album, Infernal Overkill, to their 2025 release, Birth of Malice. They kick off with “Curse the Gods,” which immediately prompts the crowd to open a mosh pit and gets other fans headbanging. Not long after, the crowd surfing ensues. It is one blazing song after another as they tear through a 30-minute set that also includes songs “Death Trap, “Nailed to the Cross,” “Mad Butcher,” “Bestial Invasion,” and “Thrash Til Death.”
They are fronted by bassist and lead vocalist Marcel Schirmer and backed by guitarists Damir Eskic and Martin Furia, along with Randy Black on drums. Marcel and the guitarists are headbanging as much as the crowd, and often pair up to show off their guitar chops. Two newer songs are in their set – “Scumbag Human Race” and the self-titled song “Destruction” off their latest album, which they closed their set with. The four band members take center stage and bow together as the fans applaud. After their set, it was cool to see some of the band members greeting fans in the merchandise area.
East Coast thrashers Overkill keep the show rolling with another rapid-fire set of thrash metal. They, too, have been cranking out metal since the early 1980s and continue to release great music, such as their 2023 album Scorched, from which they open their set with the title track. It does not take long for the mosh pit and crowd surfing to start up again. Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth is quite the lead vocalist and frontman, playing up to the crowd and keeping them engaged, while Dave Linsk shreds the guitar. Christian Olde Wolbers is filling in on bass and seems like a natural fit, laying down the low end while thrashing his hair around. Their set is full of songs from eight different albums, including highlights such as “Rotten to the Core,” “Deny the Cross,” “The Surgeon,” and “Elimination.” Drummer Jeramie Kling delivers some killer, pummeling drums throughout the set, but especially on “Deny the Cross.” They close it out with a cover of “F*** You” by the punk rock band The Subhumans. The fans are very much warmed up for the headliner to come. The time has finally arrived for Testament. Having grown up in the Bay Area metal scene in the early 1980s with the likes of Exodus and Forbidden, they have been leading the thrash metal charge with fourteen studio albums, including the 2025 album Para Bellum, which is one of the best metal albums in their career. Led by Chuck Billy on lead vocals and the twin guitar attack of Alex Skolnick and Eric Peterson, they have the fans whipped into a frenzy early with “Into the Pit” and “The Evil Has Landed.” Alex makes it look so effortless as he smiles at the crowd while his fingers blaze up and down the fretboard. Alex and Eric are still one of the top guitar duos in rock and metal, and it’s hard to believe they have been at it for 40+ years. They don’t seem to have slowed down one bit.“Henchmen Ride” cranks it up and really has the fans ignited. Next up are a trio of songs from their latest album – “For the Love of Pain,” “Infanticide A.I.,” and “Shadow People.” The latter two have the fans going wild. Tonight’s set pulls songs from 10 different albums and includes deeper tracks like “John Doe” and the next song, “WWIII.” During this, Chuck mentions something about the world we live in having changed so much, and he has no idea where we are headed. Several times during the set, fog engulfs Alex and Eric, adding to the cool lighting and the backdrop of the cover from Para Bellum.
Chuck rarely stands still as he works the crowd while delivering the vocal punch. Steve Di Giorgio has fans in awe as he lays down killer bass lines on a fretless bass with the velocity of a lead guitarist. Youngster, Chris Dovas, pummels the drums at a blistering pace throughout the set. Following “Low,” Alex and Eric tear it up on “Native Blood.” Alex opens “Sins of Omission” with some cool guitar riffs before the band kicks in. They start winding it down with the more grungy “So Many Lies,” and the slower song “The Ballad” from their great 1989 album Practice What You Preach.
The wild Michigan fans must have done something right as the band throws in an extra song, “The Haunting,” which has not been part of the earlier shows on the tour. They wrap it up with “Over the Wall” from their first album, with Chuck encouraging the fans to move, which materializes into a huge circle pit and a mass of crowd surfers. The fans show their appreciation with huge cheers as the band exits the stage. What a killer evening of thrash metal by all three bands at a great price. Be sure to catch this tour as it is well worth it.
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